Livvy Dunne Leads Accelerator Active Energy's Brand Refresh

Accelerator Active Energy is teaming up with popular athletes for its brand refresh.

The clean energy drink brand has unveiled a new visual identity alongside the “This Can. So You Can.” campaign, led by gymnast and investor Livvy Dunne.

The update introduces more vibrant can designs built to stand out on shelves.

Developed with Dolsten & Co, the hero film centers on the idea that momentum starts with a single action, with Dunne activating the redesigned cans at the press of a button.

It follows her through training sessions, travel, and everyday routines, visually signaling the upgrade in both product and athlete mindset.

But more importantly, these actions position the drink as a consistent companion across different parts of an athlete's day.

"This campaign really reflects how I use Accelerator in my own life — whether I’m training, traveling, or balancing a packed schedule," Dunne said in a press release.

"Being involved as both an athlete and an investor, it’s been exciting to help grow the brand in a way that feels authentic to me."

Athlete-investors like Travis Kelce, Paula Badosa, and Kai Trump also join Dunne, appearing in supporting creative.

Overall, the brand is pulling off a celebrity marketing strategy where talents hold equity and contribute to product and brand decisions.

The Athlete-Led Model

This athlete-investor approach is already showing early traction.

Dunne’s Cotton Candy flavor has become the brand’s top-performing SKU, surpassing 1 million cans sold across retail and eCommerce since launch.

This early performance reflects how closely the product and creative are tied to the athletes behind it, and why the brand continues to run with this model.

"The new visual identity and ‘This Can, So You Can’ campaign reflect how we’re building Accelerator — with our partners at the center," Accelerator Active Energy CEO Andrew Wilkinson explained.

"From product to creative, we work closely with athletes like Livvy, Paula, and Kai to shape a brand that feels authentic to how they actually live and perform."

The rollout spans Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and email, supported by content from Accelerator’s growing network of athletes, creators, and ambassadors.

Each execution leans on the "This Can" visual device, using it as a consistent cue to link performance moments back to the product.

According to Simon Dolsten, founder of Dolsten & Co, the idea is to turn the product itself into a symbol of action.

"This Can embodies the attitude of Accelerator Active Energy and the spirit of Livvy Dunne, and the new tagline frames any action, from a backflip to a cold Accelerator, as the enabler of momentum," Dolsten shared. 

The campaign also builds on Accelerator’s wider branding strategy, where product design and storytelling are developed in tandem.

Through visual updates, a clear narrative, and athlete-backed content, the brand hits three birds with one stone and creates consistency across platforms. 

Product and Talent Alignment

Accelerator Active Energy presents a case where product, talent, and ownership are tightly connected:

• Athlete partnerships can go deeper when talent has equity, creating stronger alignment between promotion and product development.
• Visual identity updates work best when integrated into the story of the campaign instead of as separate design exercises.
• Consistent creative devices across platforms help audiences quickly recognize and connect campaign moments back to the brand.

Sustaining this momentum will depend on how the brand holds up as more competitors adopt similar strategies.

Our Take: Can Athlete Ownership Outperform Endorsements?

This time around, Accelerator's direction feels more like a shared bet.

When an athlete has skin in the game, the energy changes.

You can see it in how Dunne talks about the product, and more importantly, in how the campaign is built around her actual routine.

That said, this approach only works if the product holds up.

You can’t fake repeat purchases. One million cans sold is a good start, but it's not the finish line.

If Accelerator gets this right, it won’t just be selling drinks; it’ll be building a roster of stakeholders who carry the brand forward.

Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian-backed UPDATE recently hit 4,000 Walmart stores to similarly disrupt the energy drink game. 

Browse these top branding agencies that specialize in identity, packaging, and retail rollout strategy.